A Lost Love Returned
by Miko873
Summary: Set in season 1 just after the episode 'Speed Metal'. It was a normal sleepover for the humans, 'Bots joining in the fun. Then after a strange transmission from an old enemy, Optimus realizes he has a prisoner aboard his ship; His best friend from Cybertron. Follow Echosong and Team Prime as they fight the Decepticons with renewed vigor. I suck at summaries. Please just read.


**A Lost Love Returned**

**By: Miko873**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own anythin' except my OCs, Deathblast and Echosong**

**A/N: HELLO! I AM BACK FROM NOT BEING HERE! YAY!**

* * *

It was a normal day at Autobot Base, Jack and Raf were playing their favorite racing game, Miko was refereeing a basketball game between Bulkhead and Bumblebee, Ratchet was cleaning his favorite throwing wrench, Arcee was sitting against the wall watching everyone else, and Optimus was in his berthroom doing paperwork. The kids had stayed overnight and did not sleep as it was about two AM. Everyone in the main room jumped when they heard the monitor beep loudly. Ratchet lept up from where he was sitting in the medbay and lunged towards the monitor. As started typing something in the console, Optimus walked in. "What is it, Ratchet? he asked in his deep, baritone voice.

"A ship. The faction is unknown, Optimus. Should we attempt to contact it?" Ratchet replied. Optimus nodded and Ratchet proceeded to do so. "This is Optimus Prime. Identify yourself." Optimus commanded. "Oh Look!" a exuberant voice exclaimed from the other side, "The Prime! We are headed to the right planet, aren't we?" Muffled shuffling was heard from the other side also. "Come on sweetspark," The voice growled, "Don't be shy. Greet them." Ratchet glanced at Optimus but the commander's attention was fully on the screen. "Fine then." The voice said disdainfuly. A snap and a pained shout could be heard in the background. Optimus stiffened. He'd know that pained shout anywhere.

More snaps and cracks could be heard, Screaming and hoarse shouts soon followed. "Come on sweetspark, don't make me bring out the blades again." The voice continued cheerfully as if none of that had happened. Panting could be heard from the other bot. "Greetings." said a raspy, but clearly feminine voice. Optimus stiffened even more until it seemed like he was going to snap. "Optimus?" Ratchet said quietly. The commander's optics darkened in fury and his servos clenched into fists. "Optimus?" questioned the youngest human on base. "Identify yourself." He commanded, optics all but glued to the screen. "Aww! but I was hoping We could chat more before I gave you my designation." The voice said tauntingly. Optimus could have sworn he knew the owner of that voice. The name was on the tip of his glossa."NOW!" Roared Optimus. All occupants of the base shrank away from Optimus. They had never heard him that angry.

There was silence on the other side, apart from the femme's heavy breathing. "... Guess." They finally replied. If looks could kill, the monitor would have been a pile of smoldering ash. "Deathblast." Optimus spat out the name like it was acid. laughing was heard from the other side. "Took you long enough, Prime." Optimus growled. "How did you escape the stockade?" He asked and all helms and heads turned to him. "Megatron freed me. In exchange I promised complete loyalty. You wanna know what the first thing he asked of me?" Deathblsat asked. In response, the commander growled. "He asked me to bring him Your best friend." Deathblast cackled. All of a sudden a pained shout came from Deathblast himself and a mighty crash was heard. "If you are fellow Autobots please help me. Deathblast's ship is about to crash land at these coordinates. Please be there." the femme begged. A groan was heard in the background. "Be safe." she tacked on as an afterthought. "Blasted femme! This is your 467th escape attempt." A crash and a screech was heard on the other side. "Get off of me!" Optimus heard The femme yell before the transmission ended.

Everything was silent as Optimus continued to stare at the screen. "The ship has just crash landed." Said Ratchet quietly. "Activate the groundbridge." Optimus ordered solemnly. "Autobots, roll out." He said as Ratchet powered up the groundbridge. With that, all the Autobots transformed into their respective vehicle modes and drove into the swirling emerald vortex.

Optimus led the way through the groundbridge followed by Ratchet, Arcee, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and finally Smokescreen. "Autobots, proceed with caution." Optimus spoke as he walked towards the fallen ship. When Optimus got close enough to the entrance of the ship he heard screaming and crying, making him quicken his pace. As he ran towards them, he remembered the first time he met her.

* * *

_Orion Pax was sitting, reading a datapad when he heard a commotion at the entrance to the Iacon library. He got up from where he was seated and he walked himself to the front. "You are not permitted to come in here. Only bots of the upper caste are allowed in the Iacon library. Please leave now." Orion heard a security guard say to someone. "I thought everyone was to be treated with equality." a feminine voice argued. He rounded the corner to see a femme arguing with the guard, Bounce._

_ "Hey, Bounce." Orion said to distract him. Bounce turned immediately . "Calm down. She's here with me." Orion said soothingly and smiled. Bounce glanced between the femme and Orion uncertainly but let her pass reluctantly. Orion grabbed the femme's arm and gently pulled her down the hall. When they were far enough from Bounce, the femme angrily yanked her arm out of his grasp and halted._

_ Orion turned to her. "I could have gotten past him all by myself! What were you thinking?! I don't need help! I'm not some delicate femme who needs a mech to help her all the time! I can do things by myself!" The femme raged. "Why in pit did you help me?! I could have used the vents to get in or knocked him out and gotten in!" she swept on. She continued for about another minute. Orion was dead silent the entire time. _

_ When she was finished her rant she looked at Optimus who was standing completely still. "My name is Orion Pax. Do you need help finding anything?" Orion asked kindly, smiling. The femme just stood there, optics wide and mouth agape. After about ten seconds she regained her composure."A datapad on turbo foxes." she mumbled. Orion nodded and led her to a shelf._

_ With that, a budding friendship had started. The femme came everyday she had off work after that. She would never tell him what her occupation was, but she came back. _

_ After a while they had no secrets between each other, except her occupation, and they became best friends._

* * *

Optimus snapped out of his reverie when he heard a particularly loud scream. He rushed into the ship to see Deathblast holding two blades that were covered in energon. Optimus looked behind Deathblast to see his best friend, unconscious and bleeding out of multiple wounds all across her frame. Arcee ran in next, then Bulkhead and Bumblebee and they all started firing at Deathblast.

While his teammates distracted Deathblast, Optimus ran over to the hurt femme. He gazed at her for a moment then gently picked her up. She moaned when he accidentally touched a large, deep wound on her side, indicating that she was in agony. Optimus winced under his face mask. "Can't stay out of trouble for one astrosecond, can you?" He rumbled teasingly. "You know me, Op. I'm a Danger magnet." she rasped painfully, slightly smirking. He let out a breath of relief.

"Autobots! Fall back!" he roared to his team and ran towards the open groundbridge two feet away. Optimus ran through the swirling vortex and deposited the femme on the closest medical berth and stepped back to allow Ratchet to work on his latest patient. Optimus stood outside the medbay for a few seconds before Bulkhead walked up to him. He looked expectantly to Bulkhead, waiting for a question of some sort. "Who is she?" Bulkhead asked.

"Her name is Echosong and she was my best friend before and during the war. Until now I was not aware she had survived the attack on Iacon." Optimus said. Bulkhead's optics widened. "She doesn't look like she's a native of Iacon ." He said confusedly. Optimus chuckled slightly at his comrade's uncertainty.

"She and I have come to the conclusion that she was born in Praxus." Optimus said, smiling. He looked into the medbay to take a good, long look at his friend. She was a beautiful black with silver and gold accents all across her slight frame. Winglets decorated her back and Optimus knew that if she had her optics open, they would be a shining, bright green with silver rings. He sighed, remembering how those optics conveyed her emotions so clearly. Even when he tried to hide them.

It was in that moment that Ratchet came out of the medbay, tiredly rubbing his optics. Optimus didn't know how long he had been standing there but by judging that Bulkhead was gone and the kids had already gone home, he guessed he'd been there for about eighteen hours. "How is she?" Optimus asked anxiously, peering around Ratchet for a better look at his friend.

"Just resting. When she wakes up she shouldn't move for about an hour." Ratchet replied tiredly. "Get some rest, old friend. I'll watch over her." Optimus said kindly. As Ratchet was about to object he yawned. "Okay, but if she so much as twitches-" Optimus nodded, interrupting him. Ratchet mumbled a 'good night' and left Optimus with Echosong.

He sighed as he sat down next to her. "You really can't stay out of trouble, can you?" He asked her unconscious figure. "You were always the one to start fights. I worried sometimes. I had wondered if you had died, because if you didn't die in battle, you probably would have died by Red Alert's wrath. You were always scaring him half to offlining." Optimus chuckled. "Who says I didn't?" A feminine voice replied from below him. Optimus' gaze shot down to the femme next to him. She was smiling at him.

"Echosong!" he exclaimed, relief evident in his voice. Echosong smirked. "Ya know? You might've been named a prime, but you still act like Orion Pax around me." she spoke offhandedly as she tried to move. Optimus put his servos on her wrists. "Ratchet said you shouldn't move for about an hour after you woke up." Echosong's optics widened. "Ratchet the Hatchet's here?" She moaned. "I'll never get off this berth!" Optimus chuckled at her melodramatics. "He fixed you as best as he could." he informed her.

"Wow. He actually does care." Echosong bit back sarcastically, still trying to get up. "I will contact Ratchet if you don't stop." Optimus replied. "Let 'im try to come near me with his Wrench of Doom. He'll never online from recharge." She muttered darkly, refusing to give up her escape attempts. Optimus sighed. ::._Ratchet?_.:: He tried the commlink. ::._What?_.:: a grumpy and groggy voice greeted his audio receptors. ::._Your patient is awake already, and is currently trying to leave your medbay_..::

Optimus heard a crash from the other end. ::._Over my offline frame!_.:: Ratchet yelled back and cut the feed. "I have contacted Ratchet and he will be arriving soon." Optimus said to Echosong, who was almost up. She stiffened and gave him a hard gaze. "If he comes near me with his wrench of Doom or his favorite needle, I'm gonna offline 'im." She growled as Optimus pushed her back to the berth with an ease that annoyed the femme. "You need to rest." he said.

She gave him a glare. "I do not!" she exclaimed indignantly. She struggled to get up for the fourth time. "Lay back down or I'll weld your aft to that berth, strap you to it and weld your articulators shut." Ratchet growled darkly from the entrance of the medbay. Echsong scowled furiously in Ratchet's direction but the CMO ignored it and gave her his own death stare. "Move one more inch and I will knock you out." Ratchet said tempestuously. Echosong gave a rougeish grin and swung her legs over the side of the berth.

Faster than Optimus could calculate, Ratchet pulled out a needle and injected the femme. She immediately fell into stasis. "I warned her." he muttered venomously. "Stupid ex-gladiators. Think they don't need repairs. Had the same problem with the twins. Always ran away from check ups." He kept on muttering, forgetting Optimus was still there. Optimus' thoughts grew dark as he recalled the horrific wound he had found on his friend. Which led his thoughts to the mech who hurt her. Which led to remembering how he had first met him.

* * *

_Optimus was talking to Echosong as they were walking inside the Iacon Library. "I have to go now, okay Orion?" Echosong said peering at the archivist who was lost in space, staring at something on the wall. She snapped her digits in front of his faceplates and he immediately snapped out of it. "I'm leaving now, Orion." she repeated. "Want me to walk you home?" he asked kindly. "Nah. I'll be fine, Orion." She said nervously. "I can get home just fine without an escort." Orion nodded hesitantly. "I'll visit on my next day off. Bye Orion!" she called as she ran off. Orion realized it was almost the end of his shift and yawned. 'How long was I up today?' he asked himself exasperated. 'oh well.' _

_ Orion walked towards the entrance of the Hall of Records to leave, but before he even got to the door, he heard fighting and angry voices. He only recognized one and it was Echosong. He rushed out the door to see Echosong and a pure black mech fighting. "Blackwind won't be happy with me if I don't bring your head back to him" The mech said calmly. "I don't think Frayer would be too pleased with him if I end up offline." Echosong snarled, fury dripping from her voice like venom as her sword traced a path through the air, just barely missing the mechs arm. "Maybe I'll tell Blackwind to save it for the ring." The black mech mused, swinging his long sword at the much smaller femme. Echosong cried out as the blade sunk into her left leg. "I'll see you there, Deathblast." She hissed out. The mech smirked and ran off._

_ Orion stared in horror at the sight of his best friend's leg. "Orion?" Her voice, much calmer by then, questioned curiously. He gently picked her up and started walking. "What are you doing? Put me down!" the femme demanded, struggling to get out of Orion's grip. "I'm taking you home." he answered. "Where do you live?" The expression on her face was a mixture of horror, fury, and nervousness. "I'll be fine walking home, Orion. I can get from here to there quickly. I mean, all I have to do is board the shuttle. No need for you to take me home. None whatsoever." She rambled nervously._

_ "No, Echosong," Orion said in a tone that meant no argument. "I'm taking you home. Now, where do you live?" The mainly black femme sighed in resignation. "Kaon. __I have a friend I live with. You remember Megatronus, right?" She asked snidely. The three of them, when together, were inseparable. The three of them were best friends and rarely did anything without even one missing, but today was different. Megatronus had to go to work. "I'll give you the unit's number when we get there." Orion gave her an uncertain look, but nodded anyways and continued to carry her. They made it to a ship where they boarded the machine headed for Kaon._

_ "Uh, Orion?" Echosong spoke up five minutes later. Orion looked down at the sound of his name. Echosong cleared her articulatiors, "You can, uh, put me down now." she said with a blush evident across her cheekplates. Orion blushed too and gently set her down. "Sorry." He mumbled embarrassedly. "It's okay, Orion." She replied, equally embarrassed. "Let's just get going." He said and grabbed her arm gently as she led the way to their seats._

_ Within an hour of getting on the ship, they were in Kaon. After a bunch of 'Wrong way, Orion.' s and 'It's this way, Orion.', they finally made it to a shabby apartment unit. It's paint was peeling, the door had parts missing, and the windows were boarded up. "Are you sure this is it, Echo?" Orion questioned. "Of course I'm sure." She said with mock hurt. "Don't think I wouldn't know my own apartment complex. Orion, you have such little faith in me." Orion Pax rolled his optics as he walked away. "See you later, Echo." he called over his shoulder. In response, she waved. After he was out earshot she breathed a sigh of relief. "He can't know. Ever." She whispered. She turned away from the door to the small apartment and started walking down the street._

* * *

Optimus sighed in remembrance. He then took a look at his internal clock. He was surprised to see that it was six thirty in the morning. He sighed as he stood from where he had planted his aft half an hour ago. The commander walked to his quarters to work on his datapads. Optimus didn't even have time to pull out his stylus before the monitor started beeping. Optimus internally groaned, but stood anyways. "Ratchet. What is going on?" He asked as he walked in the main room for the second time that day. "An Autobot identification beacon. "Contact them." was all Optimus commanded.

The first thing Team Prime heard was a distinctively male voice whining, "Come on Sunny! Let me!" and a crash. They could hear the vehemence in the other's voice as they growled, "Don't call me that." A voice snapped in the background. "Will ya both keep it tha frag down?" A smooth voice asked. "Remember, we got others listnin' now." "This is Autobot Outpost Omega One. Identification." Optimus commanded gently. "This is the Light." Arcee gave the monitor a strange look. "Jazz?" She tested cautiously. "'Cee! Didn't expect ya ta be on this side o the galaxy." Arcee laughed. "Neither did I, but slag happens."

"What brought you to this solar system?" Optimus asked. "We were chasing a Decepticon ship and the ship crash landed on a range known as the Himalayas. We chased him all the way from Cybertron." The first voice spoke up. A clang was heard next. "Shut up Sideswipe!" The second voice snapped. "Sunny! Stop it!" Sideswipe whined. Another bang. "It. Is. Sunstreaker." The mech seethed. "Both of ya'll shut up." Jazz snapped back. Bulkhead snorted and rolled his optics while Ratchet's optics grew wide in horror. "Sideswipe? Sunstreaker?" He questioned, almost fearfully. Team Prime heard nothing from the other side for almost a full minute before the two chorused, "Hatchet?" and started laughing.

"Great," Ratchet muttered sarcastically. "Just what we needed. Those two." Optimus sighed quietly and said, "Here are the landing coordinates. Safe landings." and disconnected the transmission. Optimus then turned towards the med bay to check on his friend. "Ratchet, how powerful was that sedative?" The stoic commander asked in a voice void of emotion. "It should keep her out for a solar-cycle." Optimus sighed as he stared at the unconscious figure of his friend. "Our allies will be arriving in two Earth hours." Ratchet reported.

The time flew by while waiting for their friends in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Bulkhead, Smokescreen and Bumblebee were sparring, Arcee sat in the sand meditating, and Optimus stood patiently. The tell-tale roar of engines signaled The Light's arrival. Not even ten minutes later the ship had landed. The door to the ship screeched open to reveal three figures. One red, second one was yellow. The third was mainly white with blue and red stripes going vertically up the top part of his chassis. "Can we please just get back to base? It's hot out here." Smokescreen complained as soon as the 'bots walked out of the ship. Arcee rolled her optics but Optimus only nodded and called for a groundbridge.

As soon as the 'bots were back in base, there was a long guitar note ringing in their audials. "Alright! Let's get this party started!" Miko yelled from the end of the catwalk. Arcee and Bumblebee both winced, Bulkhead grinned, and Ratchet just rolled his optics in annoyance. Jazz walked up to the young Asian and poked a boxy index digit at her. "These are tha organics ya'll told us about? This one's kinda skinny ain't it?" Miko glared up at the much taller mech with an affronted face. "First off, I'm a _she. _you know,_ female_! Second, I'm not skinny! I'm at a perfectly normal weight, thank you very much!" she huffed. The 'bots stood silently, waiting for Jazz's reaction. The mainly white mech shuttered his optics once then busted out laughing. "She's got a temper! Well, little lady, I'll be sure not tuh make tha' mistake again." Bulkhead puffed out his chest proudly and said, "Yep. She's even mouthed off to Megatron." The twins' optics widened in reluctant respect.

Sideswipe's gaze wandered to the medbay. When he saw Echosong laying motionless on the berth his spark jumped in fear. His twin, sensing the fear, followed his brother's gaze. "Momma!" Sideswipe screeched and ran towards the black femme. Ratchet moved instantly and tried to block the twins from entering. Key word; _Tried_. Sunstreaker ducked under him and Sideswipe barreled past him, knocking the CMO on his aft. "Momma! Momma! Wake up!" Sideswipe yelled by Echosong's audial. All the femme did in response was groan. Tears started to well up in Sideswipe's optics. "What happened?" Sunstreaker asked, though Ratchet could tell that he was just as shaken as his brother.

"The ship you were tracking belongs to a Decepticon named Deathblast. He has had something against Echosong since he had met her. He had been torturing her for Primus knows how long on that ship. When we found her, she was unconscious, bleeding out from a deep gash in her side." Ratchet explained. "She woke up too early for her systems to recover. So I put her into stasis. She should be waking up any minute now." Bumblebee spoke up for the first time since the new bot's arrived. _"Why did you two call her 'momma'?" _Sunstreaker opened his mouth to reply, but quickly turned his attention to the femme as he heard a raspy cough from her. Her optics suddenly onlined and she sat up gasping and coughing. Her vision was hazy, but the first thing Echosong noticed was a red figure struggling to get to her and she immediately felt fury course through her.

"Frayer!" she snarled. She shuttered her optics again and her vision cleared. She realized her mistake when she saw Sunstreaker move next to the red figure, which she then saw as Sideswipe. "Sunstreaker? Sideswipe?" She questioned confusedly. She then screamed as she felt pain from her wound, falling back onto the berth. "Painkillers!" She spat through gritted denta, clutching her injury. Soon after Ratchet injected the injured femme, she sighed in relief. "Momma?" Sideswipe spoke up in a tentative voice. She turned her helm to him and her optics widened in surprise. "Sideswipe? Sunstreaker?" Both of them ran towards the medical berth. Sideswipe sighed in relief while Sunstreaker put his servo on top of hers.

Jazz, Smokescreen, Arcee, Bulkhead, Ratchet, Bumblebee, and Optimus watched in awkward silence as the twins clung to her for dear life. "Sideswipe. Sunstreaker. How many times have I told you to stop calling me 'momma'?" Echosong asked with a deadly calm. "Since we met you." Sideswipe mumbled. _"Why do they call you 'momma'? And what is the story behind it?" _Bumblebee asked her. "Fine." she replied, gesturing to the twins. "You start." Everyone in the room turned to them, waiting for a story. Sunstreaker sighed. "It's a long story. Optimus and Ratchet should already know it." Jazz crossed his arms, a stern look on his face. A strange sight, seeing as though the mech was always so relaxed. "We're listening." Arcee deadpanned.

* * *

_Echosong walked back to the gladiatorial arena from the little shop that sold energon candies. She was happy as could be, but she didn't show it. She kept her stoic composure, void of any emotion or feelings. She walked in the 'employees' entrance, rusty doors screeching in protest. A sudden wail distracted her from her thoughts. She ran as fast as she could towards the source. "Take that, runts!" a deep, masculine voice roared at two younglings as he slashed at them with his sword, the green mech taking too much pleasure in torturing the brothers._

_Echosong immediately put herself between the two and the green mech and pulled the two close to her chassis, earning herself a deep gash across her back. "That's enough Scourge! They're just younglings!" She growled at the older mech. "Don't forget, Echosong. You were barely half their age when you got your first punishment." Echosong growled in anger. It was true. They seemed to be six stellar cycles old. Training for her started at three. As soon as she could stand. "I'll be taking care of them from now on. Tell whoever's looking after these two, that they're relieved from duty." She snapped as she grabbed the two by their servos and dragged them out of the dark room. "Who are you two?" Echosong asked once they were at a safe enough distance from Scourge. The red one spoke up first, voice full of admiration. "I'm Sideswipe." He nudged his brother. "Sunstreaker." He said in the same tone of voice as his brother._

_ "I am __Echosong_. I'll call you 'Sides'," she said, looking at Sideswipe. "And you, 'Sunny'." That time looking at Sunstreaker who made a face of discontent, obviously disliking the new nickname. After they reached their destination, which happened to be _Echosong_'s quarters, Sideswipe looked up at her and said in a determined and giddy tone, "We're gonna call you momma." She let go of their servos. "No. Absolutely not." was all her response was. "You two will share my berth. I'll recharge on the floor." She ordered after the twins stared at her for a while. "Alright, momma." Sideswipe said and climbed onto the berth with his brother. _Echosong_ sighed in annoyance. Soon after, a big red mech with black and orange details walked in. _Echosong_ stood up straight. "Frayer!" She exclaimed. He chose to ignore her to look at the two younglings sitting on the berth.

_ "Younglings? Who said you could adopt younglings?" Frayer asked in an icy tone. Echosong flinched. "I volunteered." Frayer suddenly turned around and slapped her so hard, a dent was left. "You belong to me! You will ask me if you can. Understood?" __Echosong_ looked down. "Yes, sir." she said quietly. "Don't push her around like that!" Sunstreaker yelled, voice clearly showing fury. Frayer turned his cold gaze to him as he pulled out his sword and strode purposefully towards the young mech.. "No! Frayer, Please, don't. I'll take his punishment!" Echosong gasped out, seeing what he was about to do. He was just a youngling. She was not about to let anyone abuse him as badly as Frayer usually did. The sword immediately came down and cut her across her chassis. Again, on her leg. Another on her left servo. Across her face. Fifteen swings later, he finally put down the sword and started hand-to-hand combat.

_ A swift kick to the stomach. Followed closely by a punch to the side. A kick to the back of the knee sent Echosong flat on her stomach. Frayer's pede stomped swiftly on her helm. Not one scream was uttered from the femme pinned beneath his pede. "You will be seeing a mech later tonight, also. Don't resist again. Oh and Echosong?" he said as he moved his pede from her helm._

_She looked up. "He's dominant and likes it rough, so be ready." He added before he moved towards the door. "Teach those younglings some manners too." Frayer commanded before the doors slammed shut. Only then did the young mechs climbed off the berth and to the femme's side. "Momma!" Sideswipe cried. "I didn't know that was gonna happen!" Sunstreaker wailed, starting to cry. "It's okay, Sunny. I'll be fine. We just have to get out of here for awhile. Have you two ever seen Iacon?" She said sweetly, as to not worry the younglings about her injuries. Both of them shook their helms. She smiled. "I know someone who works at the Hall of Records. Wanna go see?" Both of them smiled and nodded their helms vigorously. Echosong laughed, resting her helm on her servos. "Let's go then. My friend's gonna love you two. He adores seeing sparklings." She said as she got up off the energon stained floor._

_None of them said a word as they left the arena, heading towards the shuttle only a few miles from there. When they boarded the shuttle a strangely sophisticated looking mech sat down next to them. He said nothing and did nothing but stare out the window. Echosong was relieved when their stop came up and grabbed Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's servos in her own and exited the shuttle. _

_She tracked her way to the Hall of Records in record time. She saw Bounce and smiled and waved to the tired mech. She easily spotted Orion at the monitor. "Orion! How's it going?" She yelled to the large red and blue mech. Suddenly a shadow moved behind him and immediately recognized the larger silver mech behind him. "Megatronus!" she called out happily._

_ Both mechs turned to her at the same time and both cried out in worry. She smiled. "Look what I brought!" She exclaimed happily as she jogged up to them. Echosong gently pulled Sunstreaker and Sideswipe in front of her. "Echosong, you're hurt!" Orion burst out. She looked at him confusedly before she realized she was still leaking from her multiple wounds, she still had dents all over her frame and she had a cut and a dent on her helm. _

_All in all, she probably looked like pit. "Oh. I am?" She asked lightheadedly. "I forgot." She looked down at her twins then back up to her only friends and smiled. "This is Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, these are my friends, Orion, and Megatronus." She said, pointing to each one in turn. Orion and Megatronus looked at her worriedly. "We need to get you to a medic." Megatronus said gently while turning her around, concern in his blue optics. Orion gasped at the large, deep gash stretching from her left shoulder blade to her right hip. "Another gladiator?" Megatronus whispered in her audial. She shook her head gently, aware of a throbbing pain in her helm."Frayer again. I saved the younglings from Scourge and told him I'd be taking care of them. Frayer came in later. Slapped me pretty hard for it. Sunny spoke up in my defense. I took his punishment." She whispered back._

_ Megatronus' blue optics seemed to darken in fury. "I'll talk to him later." He promised her. No one, not even Megatronus, knew about what Frayer put her through when everyone else was in recharge. "'Song? What happened?" Orion asked worriedly. She looked to Megatronus to see if she should lie or tell the truth. At a slight nod from Megatronus, she spilled everything. Except for the sexual abuse he put her through. By the end of her monologue they were at a clinic. "I'm looking for a medic named, Ratchet." Orion told the clerk at the front desk quietly. Almost immediately, a nurse came up and walked them to an examination room. Echosong laid down on the med berth gratefully. Her vision was slowly fading to black so she reached towards Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. "I want you two to stay with Orion and Megatronus, alright? If they tell you to leave, you will, okay?" She said slowly. They both nodded in response._

_A few seconds later Echosong slipped into emergency stasis. "Momma?" Sideswipe called out as soon as her optics went dark. "Momma! Momma!" Sunstreaker began to worry. "Orion? Momma's optics are dark and she's not answering us." he said. Suddenly, a red light started flashing above their helms and a high pitched keening to accompany it. Megatronus stood up, tensed and slipped into a natural battle stance but immediately slipped out of it when Orion put a servo on his friend's arm. Nurses and doctors, including Ratchet, ran into the room and started working on the injured femme immediately. The four of them were ushered out of the room quickly. Sideswipe put up a pretty big fight. "My momma's in there! Let me go! Momma!" He howled. "Sideswipe. Calm yourself. Echosong will be fine. It's not like she's going to offline if you leave the room." Megatronus said as if it were obvious. This made Sideswipe start to bawl. "Momma!" _

_ Orion turned to Megatronus, who had a confused and slightly panicky look on his faceplates. "I'll take care of this, okay?" He muttered to his friend before turning to the tearful youngling. Kneeling, Orion placed a servo on his shoulder and as the youngling started to look at him Orion said gently, "She'll be just fine. Echosong's tough and she's been through worse. Trust me, She won't offline. Wipe those tears." Sideswipe sniffed and did as he was told. Orion smiled."Good mech. Come on." He said softly and started walking again. Sideswipe caught up with him and grabbed his servo, surprising Orion._

_ A few hours later a nurse came in and said, "Echosong's friends and kin?" They all stood up with the exception of Sideswipe, who had fallen asleep in Orion's arms two hours earlier. "Aww. Such cute younglings. You're her bonded I presume." The nurse said addressing Orion. The mech in question blushed a bright red. "No. these are younglings she's adopted. I'm just her friend." He said quickly, trying to talk off his embarrassment. The femme laughed and led them to the room and as soon as they went in the femme smiled, waved, and shut the door quietly behind her. _

_ Megatronus walked up to the medical berth and put a large, clawed servo on her small boxier one. Orion looked at the scene in utter silence, figuring it all out. Megatronus was in love with Echosong. Orion felt stab of jealousy course through his spark. The red and blue mech had fallen in love with Echosong since she became his friend. And why not? She was smart, exciting, amazing, and all around beautiful inside as well as outside. Seeing his friend looking at his best friend like that made anger and jealousy burn through his systems. He remained silent as Megatronus stroked Echosong's servo. _

_ Orion almost sighed in relief as the femme started to come around. Echosong groaned in pain and grogginess. All of a sudden she shot up, almost delirious with panic. "What time is it?!" Orion gave her a strange look. "Just past eight. Why?" Her optics grew wider in horror, fear, and realization. "I have to go! Now!" Echosong cried as she swung her legs over the berth and started to get down. Orion stuck out an arm, effectively stopping the femme. "Orion Pax. Let me leave. Now." she growled as she shoved his arm out of her way. Megatronus grabbed her shoulders and shoved her gently back onto the medical berth while she struggled. The large silver mech shook his head. "I have to! Frayer will-" She cut herself off. "I just need to leave." She suddenly dashed forward, snatched the twins from where they were sleeping, and ran out. _

_ "Sorry!" She yelled back at the mechs who were standing outside the room in awe at the speed in which she was going. She ran all the way to Kaon with the twins in her arms. She found a mech she was friends with and quickly asked, "Can the twins stay with you?! Thanks!" and sped away to her room. "Miss me?" A voice familiar asked from the depths of the caliginous room and Echosong gasped. She turned to see Deathblast sitting on her berth. "You?!" she gasped. "Why?" The smoky black mech grinned as he stood. He stalked around the femme gladiator, smirking in silent approval. Black, soulless optics looked into green and silver. "To destroy you from the inside out." He said as he lunged towards Echosong, pinning her against the wall. "Get off-" The slight femme was abruptly silenced by his lips on hers._

_He only parted for a breath and in that instant she decided to be daring and screamed. Not a very feminine scream, but a scream. In that moment they heard pedesteps coming towards the room and Deathblast covered her mouth with a servo, pinning her to his body. The black mech swore under his breath as the door slid open and two mechs walked in. One silver the other red and blue. Echosong made a sigh of relief which was quickly silenced by the mech pinning her. "These are her quarters. Where could she possibly be?" Megatronus asked. The femme in question was, by then, struggling to get out of Deathblast's grip. The silver mech sighed and started to drag his friend out the door. Echosong elbowed her captor in his stomach and threw him in front of her, making the two mechs turn. "Check the entire room before you go." She snapped sarcastically._

_ "Echosong?" Orion asked numbly. "What, Orion?" The mech blinked. "What was he doing in your quarters?" She shrugged, "I'll tell you later." She wanted to cry, but she knew she couldn't. Not in front of them. "Let's go." She said and with that said they left._

* * *

Widened optics met Sunstreaker's as he lifted his helm. "I couldn't cry in front you two, my best friends. I was so much stronger than that." Echosong murmured just loud enough for Optimus to hear. She suddenly smiled. "How long has it been, Jazz? Three, four millennia? I forget. How've you been, you slagger?" Jazz smiled warmly and chuckled. "Good. How 'bout you, _'__Song'?_" Jazz said, completely ignoring Echosong's frown of discontentment.

"Do you have to call me that, Jazz?" Echosong questioned with annoyance ingrained in her tone. He laughed heartily and nodded. "'Course ah do." The disgruntled femme rolled her optics in vexation. "Whatever. Anywhere _else _I can recharge for the cycle? Anywhere but this Primus forsaken medbay!" Optimus suddenly shifted. "I will take you to your quarters."

"That'd be really nice Optimus. Thank you." Echosong replied as she stood and started walking down the hallway with Optimus right behind her.


End file.
